ESPN: Garrett told he won’t return

FRISCO, Texas (KFDX/KJTL) — Ed Werder of ESPN is reporting that a Cowboys source says the Jason Garrett era is officially coming to an end in Dallas.

Per Werder the source says Cowboys owners Jerry and Stephen Jones have informed head coach Jason Garrett they will not be renewing his contract when it expires on Wednesday, Jan. 14, after which the the two parties will part ways.

Jason Garrett spent 13 seasons with the Cowboys, three and a half as an offensive coordinator and nine and a half as the head coach.

Garrett met with owner Jerry Jones and CEO/Vice President Stephen Jones several times this week to discuss his future with the Cowboys.

The Joneses allowed Garrett extra time to complete his head coaching duties, like perform exit interviews with players, after many speculated Garrett would be let go on “Black Monday”, the day after the NFL regular season ends.

The move comes after yet another Dallas Cowboys football season ended in disappointment.

The Cowboys entered the 2019 season as an all but certainty to make the playoffs and a Super Bowl contender.

They ended with a strong win over the Redskins, but with a record of 8-8, missing the playoffs after losing the division rival Philadelphia Eagles the previous week.

Jason Garrett’s regular season record as head coach of the Cowboys was 85-67. Despite a winning record as a head coach, each season he’s coached has ended in disappointment.

Jason Garrett’s history with the Dallas Cowboys dates back to the 90’s “Dynasty Years”. He spent seven years as the back-up QB to Troy Aikman from 1993-1999.

Garrett’s began his coaching career the year after he retired from the NFL, assuming the role of the quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2005.

In 2007, the Cowboys hired Jason Garrett as their offensive coordinator. In his first year, he guided the team to the 2nd best overall offense in the entire NFL, attracting the attention of teams seeking a head coach.

Ultimately, the Cowboys kept Garrett on staff by making him the highest paid assistant coach at that time.

Garrett took over as the Cowboys interim head coach in the middle of the 2010 season, after former head coach Wade Phillips was fired after a 1-7 start. He won five of the final eight games of the season, giving fans and ownership confidence.

Shortly after the 2010 season ended, Jason Garrett was named the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

In all three of his first full seasons as head coach, the Cowboys ended in 8-8 records. In each of those seasons, the Cowboys had a chance to make the playoffs if they won their final game. They lost all three under Jason Garrett.

In 2014, Garrett led the Cowboys to a 12-4 record behind strong campaigns from then QB Tony Romo and RB DeMarco Murray. After beating the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, the Cowboys suffered a heart breaking loss to the Green Bay Packers after a potentially game-winning catch by Dez Bryant was ruled incomplete and the hashtag #DezCaughtIt was born.

The NFL later released a statement that the catch being overturned was a mistake, and it should have been allowed to stand as a catch.

After a horrendous 4-12 2015 campaign, the Cowboys were back in the playoffs in 2016.

After losing Tony Romo in the preseason, rookie QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott’s led Dallas to a 13-3 regular season record, tying a team record for most wins in the regular season.

After a first round bye, they lost another heart-beaker to the Packers at home, falling 34-31 after a last-second field goal by placekicker Mason Crosby.

Jason Garrett earned the NFL Coach Of The Year award in 2016 for taking a team led by two rookies to a 13-3 regular season and a promising post-season campaign. It looked like things were turning around for the Cowboys.

However, the following season, the 2017 Dallas Cowboys missed the playoffs for the fifth time under Jason Garrett with a 9-7 record. To add insult to injury, they had to watch the division rival Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl with a back-up QB in Nick Foles.

In 2018, the Cowboys were doomed for disappointment again after a 3-5 record to start the season heading into a bye week. However, they won seven of their final eight games and won the NFC East for the 3rd time under Jason Garrett. After beating Seattle at home, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 30-22 and were eliminated from the playoffs.

More than anything else, it’s those measly two playoff wins in 10 years that have fans ready to move on from Jason Garrett.

Several names have been mentioned in connection to this opening, including former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, Baylor Bears head coach Matt Rhule and Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley.

Mickey Spagnola is following all the action as the search for the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys begins.

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